Chronological and political information

Affiliation

Unlike BB-8, a BB unit in the service of the Resistance,[4] the droid featured a squarer domed head and red-colored sensor.[1] In addition, due to the First Order's views on droids simply being machines, he had a cold, sinister, and even malicious personality to his programming.[5] BB-9E, owing to it being created by the First Order, was built with the latest technological advances, and included a photoreceptor that utilized all spectrums to aid it on its various patrols and keeping various machinery maintained.[3]

BB-9E was nicknamed "BB-H8", as in "hate", on the set of The Last Jedi.[10]

During the early development of The Last Jedi, BB-9E went almost three different designs made by Luke Fisher before the final one which was featured in the finished version of the film. Interestingly, every design mostly affected the droid's head. Additionally, its original name was going to be BB-Hate in order, according to droid and creature effects supervisor Neal Scanlan, to demonize BB-8.[11]